Food workers complain of harassment, bullying

The National Union of Workers (NUW) says there will be an independent investigation into claims of bullying and harassment at a food manufacturer in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick.

About half of the employees at Glendal Foods have made the wide-ranging allegations, including instances of extreme bullying and being coerced into giving part of their wages to a supervisor.

The NUW's Monique Segan says the employees raised the issues with the union six weeks ago.

"They were afraid they were going to lose their jobs," she said.

"I guess now that fear has turned into disappointment and a bit of anger about the fact that we've been raising these allegations with the employer over the last six weeks and yet no serious action has been taken."

The company will not comment, but says it plans to release a statement.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has expressed concern about the "serious" allegations.